As we progress through the year, you can see that the deadline for the discontinuation of Universal Analytics (UA) approaches quickly. By summer 2023, UA will no longer collect any data. By now, you should have completed three essential steps to prepare for the migration to Google Analytics 4 (GA4).
Firstly, you should have added a GA4 configuration tag to our website. This involves creating a GA4 property, setting up a data Stream, and adding the tag to all pages of your website. This gives you access to updated features and allows you to explore the new UI and data model.
Secondly, you should have set up BigQuery to access unsampled data and extend data retention beyond 14 months. This provides you with ensemble data and allows you to write SQL queries.
Thirdly, you should have migrated events and custom definitions to overlay your business context. You will need to identify unique interactions and conversion points that are worth moving to GA4, considering the differences in data structure and metrics when mapping to GA4. It is crucial to understand your current tracking methods before proceeding with this step.
To ensure that we are fully prepared to use the platform to its fullest potential before the UA deadline, it is essential to focus on reporting all the data you have collected. Prior to Google’s deadline, we have training details and reports. Training your teams is crucial for a successful migration. As a team, we should map out a team training program that considers how many individuals will participate, which teams they belong to, and whether they need a basic understanding or an in-depth knowledge of the platform.
Planning for migration is equally imperative while preparing to train your teams. GA4 requires more work than UA, as it only comes with a handful of simple reports. Mapping out your existing setup will provide transparency on whether some reports are worth moving across and how they map to GA4’s updated data structure.
While you may have missed the deadline in June 2022 to retrieve year-on-year data, obtaining a GA4 property still allows you enough time to become familiar with it and get everyone on our team onboard. If you require any assistance in updating our GA4 before UA sunsets this summer, or training your teams on how to use the improved Google Analytics, we should not hesitate to contact us.